Russia loses contact with Zero-G animal sex satellite

So what are the effects of weightlessness on animal sex?

That is the question Russian scientists tried to answer when they launched an experimental satellite carrying five geckos into space, only to lose contact with the probe, The Independent newspaper reported on Friday.

“So, there is only one-way communication,” a spokesperson for mission control was quoted as saying by news agency ITAR-Tass.

Engineers are working to fix the problem in case life systems were disrupted, killing the geckos on board of the Foton-M4, the spokesperson said.

The geckos were four females and one male. They were sent into space for a 60-day flight to find out how zero-gravity affects the sexual lives of animals.

While Foton-M4 was originally scheduled to return back to earth in September, scientists have to regain full control of the satellite for it to safely land in southern Russia.